From the author of

As you approach the middle of 2013, it’s the perfect time to pause and ask, “Are you getting the most out of SiteCatalyst?” After all, your organization is very vested in the tool.

Review the tips in this article, and be prepared to show off your new insights. The tips cover SiteCatalyst tracking, setup, and reporting so as to give you a comprehensive look at your implementation.

NOTE

All thoughts and ideas expressed in this article are my own and not a reflection of how analytics is done at either my current or any of my previous employers.

Tip # 1: Compare Segments

One of the best features of version 15.5 is its capability to allow users to compare segments that they have created. In the previous enhancements of version 15, you had the capability to create multiple segments, but you could only apply one segment to the data at a time. Now, with version 15.5, you have the option of comparing any two segments you created. So, for example, if you are trying to understand and compare the pages reached by visitors who arrived on your site using paid search versus organic search, this can be accomplished running a single report with numbers juxtaposed, as opposed to running the report twice.

To compare segments, first run a report and apply a segment. Then choose the “Compare to Segment” link to choose the segment you want to compare data to (see Figure 1). The segment comparison can be run on any report except the next page flow and the previous flow reports. The caveat is to ensure that you are comparing data from two similar types of segments. As a reminder, segments can be visit based, page view based, or visitor based.